Post-traumatic stress in cancer patients: prevalence and psychosocial correlates

Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are a substantial yet underrecognised mental health concern in oncology. Large-scale epidemiological data across diverse cancer types are scarce. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to identify socio-demographic and psychosocial correlates in a large, unselected outpatient cohort.

In this cross-sectional study, 4,103 adult outpatients with solid tumours or haematologic malignancies were screened during routine care using the PTSS-8-Cancer scale. Socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables were collected concurrently. Associations between screening results and patient characteristics were examined using correlational and chi-square analyses.

Overall, 32.5% screened positive for probable PTSD. Prevalence was highest in breast cancer (39.7%), female genital cancers (37.2%) and head and neck cancers (36.1%). A positive screening for PTSD was more common among women, younger patients, those with lower income, without a partner and with a history of psychiatric illness. While these associations were statistically significant, effect sizes were generally small.

One in three cancer outpatients experience substantial PTSS, with elevated prevalence in certain diagnostic groups. Small effect sizes for socio-demographic predictors underscore that psychological distress is broadly distributed. Findings support universal psychosocial screening and integration of trauma-informed care into oncology services to address a significant, population-level mental health burden.